5 Popular Cooking Myths Busted

Salt Makes Water Boil Fastersalt actually increases the boiling point of water

Kristie Collado|Jan. 9, 2015 3:24 pm EST

(Credit: Shutterstock)
Adding salt to a pot of water is a great idea if you want to season your food, but not so smart if you want the water to boil quickly — , which means it will take longer to come to a boil. The change is relatively insignificant, so you won't notice a difference, but technically, this myth is busted!

Alcohol is “Cooked Off”much of the alcohol remains

(Credit: Shutterstock)
Some alcohol is eliminated during the cooking process, but, for things that have a short cook time (like a sauce simmered for 10 minutes), .

Searing Meat “Locks In” Juicesthe hotter meat gets, the drier it gets, searing included

(Credit: Shutterstock)
We've all heard that searing meat at high temperatures creates a barrier that "locks in" the meat's natural juices. Surprisingly, this isn't true; .

Stewed or Braised Meat Stays Moist temperature of your braise or stew climbs too high

(Credit: Shutterstock)
Meat stays moist when it's cooked at low temperatures. If the, the meat will dry out even though it's submerged in liquid.

You Should Always Fry in Hot Oilabsorb less oil

(Credit: Shutterstock)
Though this bit of advice is almost true, you don't always need to fry in hot oil. In fact, French fries that are fried in cold oil (both the raw potatoes and the oil are brought to the correct frying temperature together) than those that are dropped in hot oil (due to the fact that this method requires you to fry the potatoes twice).

Kristie Collado is The Daily Meal's Cook Editor. Follow her on Twitter @KColladoCook.